Snap-hook



(No Model.)

M. M. RIGGLE.

SNAP HOOK.

Patented July Z0, 1`86- n PETERS. Pmmumngnpmr. vla-nimm. n c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL M. RIGGLE, OF ORLEANS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS E.

LINDLEY, OF PAOLI, INDIANA.

SNAP-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,923, dated Jui-y-20, 1886.

Application filed May S, 1886. Serial No. 201,:'f24 (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL M. RIGGLE, a citizen of the UnitedStates,and a resident of Orleans, in the county of Orange and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSnap-Hooks; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame,

reference being had to the accompanying d rawings, which form a part ofthis specification, and in whichi Figure l is a perspective viewof my improved snap-hook. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing it opened and thestrap released. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the hook withthe box closed, and Fig. .tis a perspeetive detail view of all theseveral parts of the hook separated.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

My invention has relation to snapvhooks; and it consists in the improvedconstruction and combination of parts of a hook having a box at the rearend of its hollow shank or spring-casing, which box may be clamped uponthe end ot' a strap, holding it, as hereinafter more fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings,the letter A indicates a plate having atransverse rib, I3, at its rear end upon the inner side of the plate,and provided upon the inner side with aseries of projecting teeth,C, anda cap, D, is pivoted upon laterally-projecting lugs, E, at the rear endof the plate, with perforations F in the inwardly projecting iianges Gof the cap. These flanges iit around the side edges of the plate, and atthe rear end the iianges and the top of the cap are formed into a box,H, through which a strap may be passed. The top of the cap is providedwith a transverse slot, I, registering with the transverse rib upon therear end of the plate, and near the forward or free end the top of thecap is provided with another slot, J, through which the end of a strapwhich has been drawn through the box and between the plate and cap maypass. The tubular'shank K of the hook L projects from the forward end ofthe plate, and the free end of the top of the cap is formed with a slotor notch, M, which may fit around the rear end of the tubular shank. Therear end of this shank is formed with a longitudinal slot, N,opening atthe rear end, and having a notch, O, in the side of its inner end, and abolt, P, slides in the inner end of the tubular sl1ank,haviug a lip, Q,projecting from its end, which may rest over the inner end of the notchin the cap and hold the cap down, and with a stud, R, which serves tooperate the bolt, and which may be engaged by the notch in the inner endof the slot when the bolt is rocked in the tubular shank. The inner endof the bolt is screw-threaded, as shown at S, and this screwthreaded endlits upon one end ofaspiral spring, T, fitting witlr in the shank, andthe outer end of this coiled' spring bears against a pin, U. whichpasses through the rear end ofa sleeve,V,sliding upon the shank, andslides in longitudinal slots XV in opposite sides of the shank,near thehooked end of the same. Thesleeveis formed with two outwardlyprojectinglips,X,one of which will bear against the back of the hook when thesleeve is forced forward by the spring, while the other lip will closethe opening ofthe hook, bearing with its free end against the outer sideof the end of the hook. The sleeve is provided with a lng or stud, Y, atthe end of the pin, by means of which it may be handled and slid uponthe shank, and it will be seen that when the sleeve is slid inward uponthe shank the hook will be opened, and may be hooked into a ring, link,or similar object, whereupon the spring will `force the sleeve outwardagain, causing the lip to close the aperture of the hook, while theother lip bears against the back of the hook and re-enforces it, thesaid Alip at the same time serving as a reserve lip if theother lipshould break, when the sleeve might simply be reversed and the iip atthe Vback be utilized.

It will be seen that the end of astrap or rein may be inserted throughthe box at the rear end ofthe cap, and maybe clamped withinthe casingformed by the plate and by the cap, the rib and the projecting pinsserving to bite into the strap and hold it, and the cap may belocked inposition bearing against the strap and plate by means of the lip uponthe sliding bolt.

Then the strap is to be inserted, the bolt I OO maybe slid towardtheinner end of the slot in the shank, and the stud upon the bolt may betilted into the notch in the slot, holding the bolt locked back out ofengagement with the cap until released, when the spring will force ittoward the cap.

The bolt may have the spring screwed farther in or out upon the innerend ofthe bolt, rendering the force with which the spring will bearagainst the bolt and against the pin of the thimble greater or less, sothat the strength ofthe spring may be regulated.

Having thus described my invention, I clai in and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United Statest l. In a snap-hook, the combi nationof a shank having an inwardly-bent hook at its end, with a sleevesliding upon the shank and having two lips at its outward end,respectively bearing against the back of the hook and against therearwardly-bent end of the hook, and having means for forcing it out andfor stopping it, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. In a snap-l1ook,the conibination ofatubular shank having arearwardly-bent hook at its outer end,and having longitudinal slots inopposite sides, with a sleeve sliding upon the shank and having twooutwardly-projecting lips at its outer end bearing, respectively,against the back of the hook and against the rearwardly-bent end, acoiled spring within the tubular shank, and a pin inserted through thesides of the rearend of the sleeve and bearing against the end of .thespring passing through the slots, as and for the purpose shown and setforth.

3. The combination of a snap-hook with a plate at lthe rear end of theshank of the hook l'orined with a transverse rib at the rearend of theinner side, and having projecting studs upon the inner side, a caphaving the rear portions of the inwardly projecting fianges pivoied atthe rear ends of the side edges of the plate,and having the angesfitting against the edges of the plate, and a latch in the rear end ofthe shank of the hook engaging the free end of the flanged pivoted cap,as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

4. The combination of a tubular shank having a rearwardly-projectinghook at one end and formed with longitudinal slots near the outer end,and with a longitudinal slot in the inner end, formed with a notch inthe inner end of the side of the slot, with a plate at the rear or innerend ofthe shank, and having its inner face provided with projectingstuds and formed with a transverse rib upon the rear end of the innerside, a cap having flanges at its sides fitting upon the side edges ofthe plate, and having the rear portion of these flanges pivoted at therear end of the plate,aud having the rear portion of the cap formed intoabox, and formed with a transverse slot in the top Y above thetransverse rib, and a transverse slot near the outer end and a notch inthe outer end fitting upon the rear end of the shank, a spring withinthe tubular shank, and a bolt having its screw-threaded inner endfitting into one end of thercoiled spring, and having a lip for engagingthe notch of the cap anda stud for operating the bolt and engaging thenotch in the slot, and a sleeve upon the shank having outwardlyprojecting lips at its outer end bearing against the back of the hookand against the point of the hook, and having a pin projecting throughthe rear end and through the slots in the shank bearing against the endof the spring, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL M. RIGGLE.

Witnesses:

LABAN LINDLEY, ROBERT WHITE.

